24 July 2009

After all the losing of the 2000s, I think Royals fans are finally getting fed up. As evidenced here and here (less a fan as much as an observer on the second link, but still a fan). Also to a lesser degree here, and I'm omitting a bunch of others, I'm sure. There was also word on 810 when I was listening recently that the Royals don't plan to spend over this year's level in 2010, which was correlated to the widespread renovations at "the New K" as an unwise tack to take. Of course, it doesn't matter how much you spend if you spend as dumbly as the Royals have in recent years. Doesn't look like that's gonna change. And to think this organization once used the season slogan, "Something Special in the Air" and actually lived up to it. Depressing.

*** Omaha scored in the 1st but went dry thereafter as the Cubs split the series. Tug Hulett hit his 5th homer with 1 out in the 1st but the rest of Omaha's 8 hits would go for naught. Iowa tied it before stranding 2 in the 3rd, then scored 2 runs on 3 hits in the 4th. 1B Matt Craig hit his 5th homer to lead off the 6th and make it 4-1 Iowa. Omaha left the bases full in the 8th and Greg Holland allowed a run in the 8th for some insurance. Starter Casey Fossum got the win for Iowa with 7 IP of an ER allowed on 5 hits and a walk with 5 Ks to improve to 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA. Three Cubs had 2 hits as LF Bobby Scales drove in 2 runs (24)

The O-Royals are 39-58. A 4-game home set with the Round Rock Express (43-56, AAA Astros) starts tonight as Lenny DiNardo (5-4, 3.63) faces Express righty Bud Norris (4-8, 2.61). The Royals are 2-6 versus the Express, including losing the last 5. OF Mitch Maier is headed back to KC as waste of money OF Jose Guillen has a torn knee ligament.

*** A 5-run Arkansas 1st set the tone as the Travelers avoided the sweep. Blake Johnson didn't survive the 1st inning as a 2-run homer by DH Mark Trumbo (his 10th) was part of a 7-hit, 5-run onslaught as Federico Castaneda came in to strand the bases loaded. Jose Duarte hit a 3-run double in the 2nd to cut into the lead but Chris Nicoll was knocked around for 4 runs in the 4th on a walk, 3 hits and 2 Ed Lucas errors. One of the hits was a 3-run homer by RF Jeremy Moore for his 2nd of the season. Corey Smith hit an RBI double in the 5th but Nicoll gave up a run in the 6th to make it 10-4. Cody Strait hit an RBI single in the 7th but the Nats stranded 2. Marc Maddox hit a 2-out, 2-run double in the 9th but that was NWA's last gasp. Starter Trevor Reckling allowed 4 ER on 5 hits and 4 walks with 5 Ks over 6 IP to improve to 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA for Arkansas. 3B Chris Gutierrez was 3-4 with a walk, his 8th RBI and a RS to move to .360 and 2 other Travs had 2 hits. Moore's homer gave him 10 RBI on the season and he stole his 1st base plus scored twice in improving to .333. Trumbo also drove in 3 runs (53).

The Naturals are 16-9 and a game up on first. A 4-game set at the Springfield Cardinals (13-13) starts tonight with Everett Teaford (3-3, 4.66) squaring off with Cards righty Brandon Dickson (6-6, 3.43). Teaford's former Wilmington cohort, P Jason Godin, has been called up to NWA as Chad Orvella went back on the DL with his groin problem.

*** Danny Duffy had another good start and the Rocks took down the Pelicans in the series finale. Duffy stranded 2 in the 1st but retired 8 in a row early in the game. The Rocks surged ahead with 3 runs off rehabbing Tim Hudson in the 3rd on a Johnny Giavotella RBI single, Mike Moustakas RBI groundout and Clint Robinson RBI single before stranding 2. Duffy allowed a run in the 4th but Wilmington scored 2 in the 5th on a Moustakas RBI triple and Clint Robinson RBI single. Two errors on one play in the 5th helped Myrtle Beach cut it to 5-2 and Eric Basurto gave up a homer to the first batter he faced -- SS Robert Marcial (his 2nd) -- in the 7th to cut it to 5-3. Brandon Sisk got out of an inherited jam in the 8th then pitched a perfect 9th for his 9th save. Hudson took the loss with 2 2/3 IP of 3 ER allowed on 5 hits and a walk with a K to fall to 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA. DH Donell Linares and RF C.J. Lee had 2 hits for the Pelicans.

The Rocks are 13-13 and 4 1/2 games back. A 3-game set at the Kinston Indians (10-17) starts tonight with Alex Caldera (3-7, 5.78) facing K-Tribe lefty Russell Young (2-5, 4.25). The Rocks are 9-5 versus the Tribe.

*** Burlington rallied back to tie the game in the 6th then got the grandaddy of all walkoffs in the 8th to defeat the Loons in the first of 2 Thursday. Sam Runion allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk before stranding 2 in the 1st but settled down. The Loons threatened again in the 5th but Patrick Norris nailed a runner at the plate to end the inning. Runion and Craig Rodriguez allowed a run in the 6th and the Bees were being shutout on 3 hits by Loons SP Jon Michael Redding going into that frame. Adrian Ortiz broke up the shutout with an RBI triple, scored on a Jason Taylor sac fly, and then Nick Francis tripled and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3. James Thompson stranded 2 in the 8th and the Bees loaded the bases with 1 out in the 8th. Bonilla stepped up with 2 outs and crushed a pitch to left center to end the game abruptly. RP Cole St. Clair took the loss by allowing 4 runs (3 ER) over 2 IP to fall to 3-1 with a 4.03 ERA and blow his 1st save. Redding allowed 3 ER on 6 hits with 2 Ks over 5 2/3 IP to move his ERA to 4.48. Former Royal Tom's son SS Devaris Gordon was 3-4 with his 52nd SB and a RS to move to .301. C Tony Delmonico also had 2 hits and his 34th RBI for Great Lakes. Tim's son 1B Matt Wallach drove in 2 runs (33) in the loss.

*** The Bees could provide Tim Melville with no run support as he dueled with Loons lefty Geison Aguasviva, but neither would figure in the decision. Melville stranded 2 on walks in the 1st but retired 13 in a row at one point. His no-hit bid was lost in the 5th. The Bees stranded 2 in the 3rd and the Loons loaded the bases with 1 out in the 7th before a sac fly and steal of home gave them the 2 runs they needed. RP Luis Garcia pitched 2 scoreless for the win to move to 5-1 with a 2.52 ERA. Aguasviva worked 5 IP of 3 hits and a walk allowed with 3 Ks to lower his ERA to 1.34. Three Loons had a hit each and Gordon stole 2 bases to get to 54 on the season. He was 0-2 with a walk to drop to .299.

The Bees are 11-14 and 4 1/2 games out. The series ends tonight as Mike Lehmann (3-3, 4.37) faces Loons righty Josh Walter (5-3, 3.30). As noted, RP Craig Rodriguez has been added to the roster.

*** Four late Orem runs made the game look somewhat closer than it was as IF took the first of 2 with the Owlz. Salvador Perez hit an RBI double in the 1st but Ivor Hodgson and Bryan Paukovits allowed the Owlz to tie it in the 2nd. Deivy Batista cranked a 2-run homer in the 3rd for his 6th of the season but Orem hung in with a run on 2 doubles in the bottom of the inning. A run-scoring wild pitch and Tito Espinosa RBI single in the 4th made it 5-2 and IF padded the lead with 2 more in the 6th on a Carlo Testa RBI double and Hilton Richardson RBI single. Paukovits left the bases full in the 6th and the Chukars put it away with 4 runs in the 7th on a Jordan Parraz RBI double and 3-run Testa homer for his 3rd of the season. Carlos Arias allowed a run in the 7th and Mitch Hodge allowed 4 runs in the 8th as Orem cut it to 11-7. Cole White came in with 2 on and 2 out in the 9th and got the final out for his 3rd pro save. Orem SP Patrick Corbin took the loss with 3 1/3 IP of 5 ER on 6 hits and 5 Ks to drop to 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA. Four Owlz had multiple hits. 2B Jean Segura and RF Richard Cates had 3 hits each as Segura doubled thrice (7) and scored 3 times as well in moving to .387. He also drove in his 18th RBI.

The Chukars are 17-9 and a game up on first. The short set wraps tonight as Santiago Garrido (1-0, 5.01) faces an unannounced Orem SP. IF Ryan Stovall has been bumped to Idaho Falls from the AZL.

*** Bristol held the Royals to 4 hits in the series finale. The Sox took the lead in the 2nd on 3 hits off Leondy Perez before stranding 2. Two more hits helped lead to another run in the 3rd and 2 runs in the 4th made it 4-0 Bristol. Geulin Beltre got the Royals' only run with a solo homer in the 4th for his 2nd of the season. RP Alex Farotto got his 3rd save and RP Dan Wiltz worked 2 scoreless innings to move to 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA. Starter David Holmberg allowed an ER on 2 hits with 2 Ks over 4 IP to move his ERA to 4.97. Three Sox had 2 hits in the win, including LF Brady Shoemaker, who kept hitting at 2-3 with his 11th double and 17th RBI and a RS to move to .421. DH Harold Baines Jr. was 2-4 with his 4th pro RBI to move to .171.

The B-Royals are 8-21. A 3-game set at the Greeneville Astros (14-16) starts tonight with no announced starters on the team site. Greeneville's roster features 'Stros '09 draftees 1st round SS Jiovanni Mier (hitting .312, .888 OPS in 93 ABs), supplemental 3rd round IF Jonathan Meyer, 4th round righty B.J. Hyatt, 11th round C Bubby Williams and others. OF J.D. Martinez is hitting over. 400 with an OPS over 1.100 to lead the Astros thus far.

*** A 6-run 2nd propelled the Royals to the win over the Indians. Alex Llanos led off the Royals 1st with a double and scored on a Justin Trapp single to make it 1-0 Royals. They all but put the game away in the 2nd with 6 runs on a Trapp RBI single, Llanos steal of home, Jeff Howell RBI single, Geoff Baldwin RBI single, Luis Piterson RBI single and Lane Adams RBI forceout before stranding 2. Brian Peacock had an easy first 2 innings but gave up a solo homer to 1B Rolando Petit (his 1st) in the 3rd. The Indians got another run in the 4th thanks in part to a Royal error before Robinson Yambati finished out the frame. Piterson hit an RBI double in the 4th to make it 8-2 but the Indians got to Yambati for 4 runs in the 5th to cut the lead to 2. The Royals got back in command with a 3-run 6th as Piterson hit an RBI single, Adams hit an RBI groundout and Piterson scored on an error to make it 11-6. Chris Lubanski took a bases-loaded walk in the 8th to account for the Royals' final run. Starter Alex Morales took the loss for the Indians with 1 2/3 IP of 7 ER on 10 hits and a walk with 2 Ks to fall to 3-2 with a 5.76 ERA. Two Indians had 2 hits. 3B Jesus Brito had 2 hits and 2 RS along with his 7th triple, 11th error and 22nd RBI to move to .371.

The Royals are 9-18 and 7 1/2 games out. They play the 16-10 Mariners tonight.